Volume to Weight CalculatorTHERE IS NO SINGLE MEASUREMENT THAT TELLS YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT A SURFBOARD, BUT IF YOU ONLY HAVE ONE MEASUREMENT, THEN VOLUME IS THE MOST IMPORTANT, AND VOLUME IS, OF COURSE, RELATIVE TO THE WEIGHT OF THE SURFER.  

HOW TO USE THIS CHART

Volume to weight calculator

Move the cursor over the chart to see the smallest board you should be riding.

For this chart, we’ve decided to use percentages to describe the ratio between a surfer's weight in kilograms, and surfboard volume in liters. We think this is the most intuitive way to express these ratios. As an example, an 80kg surfer riding a 40L board would be a ratio of 50%, while a 40kg surfer on the same board would be a ratio of 100%.

Other than your weight in kilograms (2.2lbs = 1kg), the only other thing you need to know in order to use this chart is what level surfer you are. We do not use the terms "beginner", "intermediate" or "advanced" as they are too ambiguous. Instead, we use a level system from level 1 to level 4. Click here to quickly see what level surfer you are.

There are 2 important things to understand before you start using this chart:

1. This chart will not tell you what size board you should ride. It will tell you the smallest board that is practical for developing the most common surf skills. Riding a board smaller than suggested is not impossible, but will result in slower progress for a variety of reasons.
2. Remember that with the correct technique and timing, any board can be used to perform almost any maneuver and that bigger boards are often helpful when learning new skills. Perhaps surprisingly for Levels 1-3, boards with ratios of 200% or higher are still completely functional (as demonstrated by SUP surfers and petite longboarders).

If you found this helpful, you can also check out our "Tree of Knowledge" infographic of surf skills which maps out all the key skills for Level 1-4 surfers and what order it's optimal to begin learning them in.

You can also learn more about volume to weight ratios, and surfboard volume in general, by reading this article.